


Gone Is Yesterday; Today We Begin

by kittypox



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, M/M, Mpreg, Omegaverse, cryosleep fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-18
Updated: 2018-08-18
Packaged: 2019-06-29 05:03:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15722535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittypox/pseuds/kittypox
Summary: Keith is used to being left behind, standing alone as the watcher while the rest of his team takes off on their own adventures. He doesn’t mind. he really doesn’t, because Shiro will always come back to him. This time though, when the man comes back, he won’t be alone…





	Gone Is Yesterday; Today We Begin

**Author's Note:**

> I started this little fic back before season 7, when it was rumored hat the time skip was because the paladins (except Keith) went into cryosleep. So, I thought, 'well, what would happen is Keith got pregnant right before the others went into cryosleep?'

The concept and execution of foresight had always eluded Keith. It was a great failing of his; he could see down the paths he took and where they might lead him--sometimes, if he bothered to look. More often than not, he would throw himself head first into some action and damn the consequences. Live for the now, he reasoned; there was no telling if he would make it to see the dawn of the next day. It was a philosophy that often led to trouble down the line, as it had when the decision was made for the paladins to enter stasis for a period of four years. 

He had guessed some twisted plan of the sort would crop up. Why would life begin treating him fairly? They had only just forced the witch from Shiro's mind, freeing him from slavery. Ever the guilt-ridden man, Shiro was quick to grovel for his forgiveness. As if Keith would ever withhold his care. What should have been a fulfilling, heartfelt reunion was tense. Dare he even think it, it was unpleasant. With the plans formed, Shiro and Keith moved about one another carefully, avoiding contact of all forms as they struggled to come to terms with how their relationship would suffer this time. 

Shiro was quiet as they readied for bed one evening after the announcement. The news hung heavy between them, a great weight that settled between them like a wall, making speech impossible. What could either of them say? Apologies? Wishes? It seemed too late for any would-have-beens or could-have beens. They had a fortnight to say proper goodbyes. Three days passed before they felt strong enough to breach the silence.

"It won't be so bad." Shiro put on his well manicured mask, pretending to be optimistic. Keith saw right through him. "Four years will go by quickly. We'll be awake again before you know it."

Easy to say when he wasn't the one to be minding the lifeless bodies of the sleeping paladins, Keith thought sourly. "You said something very much like that before you went to Kerberos."

Immediately, Keith regretted letting his tongue wag. Shiro fell silent, eyes wide and stricken. It was a sore spot in their relationship.

"I--"

"Forget it. I'm sorry. Moving on." he dropped his gaze to the floor, clenching his hands between his knees. "Four years is...a long time for me."

Shiro did not deny it. Four years without the company of found family would be achingly long for anyone, no matter his optimism. His hand fell heavy on Keith's shoulder, fingers digging in lightly, reassuringly. It was an empty, but appreciated gesture. Keith laid his hand over the man's, unable to look him in the eye. This was his role; Keith had resigned himself to it. Always last to be thought of, always left behind. 

Their relationship was based on actions, on heartfelt deeds and promises. This time though, Shiro made him no promises. They both knew that, in their lives, promises could be easily shattered. Rather than be a liar, Shiro opted not to pledge his undying affection and instead offered freedom. If, in the years to come, Keith's heart changed, Shiro gave him permission to move on. It was not the parting passion that Keith had been hoping for. Regardless, he fell into bed with the man--his childhood friend, his lover, his mate--and gave in to blind, immutable passion.

Two weeks later, when the cryochambers sealed shut and Shiro's eyes fluttered closed, Keith had to wonder why he had hurt himself so, by falling so easily into the man's bed. Foresight; he really ought to use it, he had chastised himself. A bit of forethought might have saved him some heartbreak. He berated himself as such when, some weeks later, he discovered their carelessness had resulted in his belly swelling with life. 

==

_3 months_

Loneliness was an old friend of Keith's that he knew well. It was time they became reacquainted with one another. Duringis time as a paladin, he had been the least attached of the team, the last one looked to for advice or favors, or even a friendly chat, but there was something to be said about being in constant company with friendly faces. Alone in his room, he had the comforting knowledge that, should he ever need to see a reassuring smile or hear a pleasant voice, he needed only step outside and someone would surely be there.

That comfort had abandoned him as soon as the light turned green and the cryochambers sealed shut for the coming four years. In the absence of the paladins, Kolivan and a small contingency of Blade members would remain aboard the ship. Keith was grateful to his kin for remaining by his side, refusing to leave him flitting about a grand castle with nothing but the ghosts of a somewhat kind past. But it was not the same. 

He would need to make due, Keith thought, steeling his resolve. Placing his hands over his abdomen, he could now sense the life from within, beginning to let itself be known to the world. There was no hiding the fact now; every day he caught his fellow Blades tracking his movements, knowing stares hidden behind their masks. Though no one had yet to make mention of it, he knew that they all knew. Every time he came into contact with Kolivan, the man's eyes landed first on his stomach and then rose to his face.

Their polite tactfulness was appreciated. Had someone called his bluff and asked him what he intended on doing, Keith would have no answer. He had purposely avoided thinking of the future, even as he wretched daily and his body stretched and grew. Foresight. He truly needed to gain a handle on it. He could not avoid the truth of his condition much longer, though he suspected he already knew the path he would take. Still, he found reasons not to dwell overly much on what was to come.

=====

_5 months_

He could do this alone. There was far more a stake than his personal needs, Keith reminded himself. Just as his own mother had borne him and dutifully returned to the war that threatened her family, he too would give in to the dictates of war. In the dim light of the cryobay, he traced the lines of Shiro's slumbering face. The man looked at peace. A smile twitched at the corner's of Keith's mouth. It had been so long since Shiro had looked at ease. Pity it took artificial sleep to relieve the man's mind. 

He traced his eyes over the sharp ridge of the man's cheekbones and square jaw, remembering how it felt, having that chin resting atop his head, feeling Shiro's rough cheek nuzzling into his nape. He missed that intimacy, among the hundreds of other things he had suddenly been robbed of. Who knew that even a simple touch on his shoulder could mean so much? 

"I think you would be happy." he murmured, flinching at the sound of his own voice. He was acutely aware of how alone he was in the vast room with five lifeless bodies. 

_Just sleeping_ , he reminded himself. 

Sighing, he dropped his hand to his stomach, cradling the swell in his palm. It was a common gesture of his now. "You used to talk about a family. Just you and me. And the baby. I didn't think you were serious. Why would you ever choose me?"

His eyes flicked to the man's face once more. He could find no answer in Shiro's still expression. For better or worse, they were mates. Had the circumstances been different, Keith would have been elated, if not terrified, knowing that he was carrying the alpha's child. There would be joy, fear, perhaps even moments of anger, but through it all they would have each other and the humbling knowledge that they were forever tied to one another through love made flesh. 

Fate truly did have it out for him and Shiro. Of course he was suffering a pregnancy alone. Of course Shiro, who had been praying for a family of his own for ages, was unaware of his coming-child. Keith groaned softly, turning away. When he overcame his cowardice and forced himself to think of the years to come, he was justifiably terrified. Not only would he carry and labor alone, but he had three years of single parenting to look forward to. And when Shiro woke? Then what? They would not mold seamlessly back into a single family unit. Shiro would have a partially grown child to bond with. Their child would need to learn who his father was. He would be trapped somewhere in the middle, devoted to their child but desperate to be with his mate. 

He was not looking forward to it.

=====

_8 months_

More often than not, Keith found himself sitting. Physical comfort had grown to be of great importance to him. After mere minutes on his feet, his soles would begin to ache. When shifting side to side on the balls of his feet ceased to alleviate the pains, he would seek out a spot of repose. His fellow Blades were sympathetic, often leaving blankets and similar nesting materials about the castle when his weakness consumed him. 

"You," he prodded his fully round belly, "you take too much energy."

More energy than he had anticipated. Even as an omega, he hadn't been properly warned of how much effort and self-sacrifice went into child bearing. Or perhaps he had simply never took the time to learn. While the rest of his fellow omegas studied the ways of their own bodies, preparing for an inevitable future of litters, he had turned his full attention to the stars.

He would not say it was a real loss. Unprepared as he was, he had his family to support him and the Blades were ever patient with him. More than that, he had his unborn child, who he had grown undeniably fond of in the passing months. When he felt alone--which was far more often than he wished to admit--he needed only press his hands to his stomach and the loneliness would leave him. He was never truly alone. 

As the weight came and stayed, it was impossible to pretend that there was no child. He had to account for the coming infant. And then the amazing had happened; he felt the child move. In the back of his mind, Keith had known that it would happen. Babies moved. They kicked and shifted and generally made a nuisance of themselves while in the womb, but he had somehow failed to make the connection to himself.

When the first fluttering kick came, he had been eating and chalked it up to indigestion. The Blades preferred food with a bit of kick to it; gas and cramps were common plagues on his stomach. When the sensation failed to stop, only then did he begin to suspect it was something else entirely. His doctor confirmed his suspicions with a small, fond smile. He had smiled too.

That had been some months ago and now the child never stopped moving. Much as it hurt, Keith liked to pretend that the little one was searching for its father's voice. Until he had Shiro back, he would keep the man a part of the family any way he knew how, even if it was only through imagination. 

"Daddy will be back soon." he crooned at his belly. There was a kick in response.

He had been saying that for months. Keith wagered his baby was growing tired of waiting. He couldn't blame him; he was getting impatient as well. At least he would not be alone for much longer. Shiro's absence was a daily plight, but his attention had slowly been shifting towards their unborn son. Their infant had needs to be met. Never one to neglect those he loved, Keith made certain that he tended to every need, real and imagined, his boy had.

=====

_10 months_

His child was sorely overdue and Keith was no longer handling the distress well. It was somewhat relieving to know that the galra tended to have longer gestation periods, but that did nothing to ease his body's aches and pains. Ten months carrying a baby was ten months too long, his body complained. By month five he had been tired; by seven, he had been ready for the babe to come and be done with it all. 

Patience was a thing of the past. Kolivan and the Blades thankfully accepted his moody declaration that he was remaining in the cryochamber with Shiro until his time came. If he were not mistaken, he thought he heard a number of knowing chuckles from his fellow Blades, bemused at his need to be by his mate's side. 

Let them laugh,Keithe muttered to himself as he set up a nest in the cryochamber. One blanket after another was laid to the floor, stacks of pillows dug up from every supply closet the castleship had to offer until, after a good hour of preparation, he had a nest so thick and plush, he could not even tell that he was resting on hard ground. It was a decent result for a heavily pregnant omega who shunned the aid of his comrades. It would have been a disaster if Shiro had helped, Keith thought with a gentle smile as he settled into the mass of blankets. Doting an alpha as Shiro was, he suffered from the same deficiencies that most alphas did: he was a horrible nest builder. Even so, Keith would have given anything to have the man there with him.

His gaze flicked to the softly illuminated pod where the man slept, face eerily devoid of emotion. He hated seeing Shiro like that; it reminded him of the the first time he had seen the man, all that time ago, strapped to a table like some medical experiment. He moved his hand to his swollen stomach, instinctively seeking out the comfort of their unborn babe.

It was all in the past, Keith thought sourly, taking a deep and steadying breath. He needed to concentrate on the future. The baby could be delivered at any given moment, but he still had years to endure without his mate. There was no place for past regrets. The more he dwelled, the more he realized that he--thankfully--would not have much free time to mourn his losses. 

"That's okay," he whispered, stroking his belly, "I'll be happy with you. I'm excited to see you, you know. As much as I want Shiro to be here for you...I'll be happy, even if it's just us."

Never before that moment had he thought such a thing could be true; he had always needed Shiro to be whole, to be complete, to be at peace. No longer. And that was strangely and wholly comforting for him.

======

Consciousness came back alarmingly quickly. It was a sensation Shiro could never get used to, no matter how many times he ended up in the healing pods. Cryosleep was far worse, alertness rushing back with all the force of a punch to the face. His guts twisted, stomach lurched, muscles spasmed, and just as he was gathering together enough thought to regain mastery of his limbs, the pod opened and he nearly tumbled face first to the floor. 

The room was still spinning when he found control of his legs and locked his knees, jerking into a stooped stance. Thoughts were sluggish and slow, difficult to piece together and even more difficult to decipher. He knew he had just been in a pod, but the whys and wherefores were slow to dawn. Memories came creeping back, dim at first and then with alarming clarity.

Four years, Shiro thought, the knot in his squirming belly tightening. The following thought was even more poignant: _Keith._

Keith. It felt like it had only been a few hours since he had seen the man, but Shiro knew better. He had to brace himself. When next they met, he would be staring eye to eye with a man nearly his age. 

He sighed into the darkness, his struggle over his body momentarily forgotten. "Oh...Keith."

He was not expecting the darkness to answer back. A high pitched keen rang out, a joyful sound that, had it not caught Shiro off guard, would have made his heart melt. 

Instinctively, he activated his arm, scanning the room for enemies. Who knew what had happened to the castleship in the four years he had been slumbering. He could have woken in he midst of his enemies. But the darkness produced nothing; no enemies, no drones, no watchful eyes of druids. He was safe. Shiro sighed, arm cooling; he could never shake his days in the gladiator arena.

But what had he heard? Someone or something had responded when he spoke. he crept forward, finding a mess of blankets that appeared to be a torn nest. Th sweet smell of omega touched his nose and Shiro sighed without thinking. Keith...

But...it was not Keith sitting in the blankets. To Shiro's great surprise, he was greeted not by his mate, but by a small child. Wide eyes stared back at him, familiar and yet completely unknown. In the darkness, Shiro could not mistake the subtle glow of gold around the otherwise white eyes. Galra then, but whose...?

"Hey there, little guy." He knelt beside the child, mindful to move slowly lest he frighten the little one. It did not appear to be a concern; the child allowed him to approach, careless smile upon his face. "My name is Shiro. What's yours? Where are your parents? Who is your--"

All at once the child lunged, chubby little arms spread wide as he grabbed for Shiro's neck. "Daddy!"


End file.
